


The Peridot Effect

by Peridawesome



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Butterfly Effect, F/F, I'm Bad At Titles, I'm Lapidot Trash, Peggy Sue, lapidot - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2019-12-26 10:04:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 16,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18280892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peridawesome/pseuds/Peridawesome
Summary: Maybe it was a dream, but it felt real, and there was no way she would just let things happen the way they did with what she knows- and even if it's wrong, there's no harm in finding out.(An Alternate Universe where everything that happens in the show turns out to be a premonition had by Peridot many millenniums ago.)





	1. Wake Up

She was in the Bubble Room, where she once was shaking in fear at the aspect of being harvested, now delightedly juggling bubbled Gems which would soon be given their forms back to them after so many years of corruption.

She stayed behind with Lapis, as she knew Jasper was one of the many Gems bubbled, and neither were ready to confront her again after their previous experiences with her.

She witnessed as the Diamonds left in their ship, leaving the Legship behind; she knew they weren't going to be buddy-buddy with them, and she was okay with that, as long as the Earth was safe.

She laid on her stomach on the grass, holding Pumpkin and making sure he didn't disturb Steven's new pet, with Lapis sleeping peacefully nearby.

Everything was so serene, so peaceful, she didn't know how she could will herself to leave.

The barn was gone, but that was okay- she and Lapis were together, so to her, she was at home.

Slowly, her eyes closed, and she began to drift to sleep, wanting to join her friend in slumber.

It was not a typical sleeping position, but she didn't care. As long as Lapis was safe and close-by, she didn't want to wake up...

Wake up...

Wake up...

"Wake up, Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG!"

She screamed as she jumped awake, swiftly turning to look to the person who had disturbed her slumber- despite feeling that she recognized the voice.

In front of her stood Yellow Pearl, looking a bit... alarmed, to say the least, that one of their most dilligent and focused Peridots managed to fall asleep on the job, and reacted so strangely upon being awakened.

That made two of them- Peridot was shocked too. She was shocked to hear her referred by her Facet and Cut, she was shocked to see Yellow Pearl right in front of her, she was shocked to be back on Homeworld in the spot she remembered working so many years ago...

...and she was shocked to have her limb enhancers, which she caught a glimpse of in her peripheral vision.

All the friendships she made, all the change she created, all the good she did... it felt like all of that had suddenly been erased, or thrown away. Did it not happen? Did she really dream everything? If so, why does she so distinctly remember everything, going from when she tried to kill the Crystal Gems with lasers to when she got slapped by a Diamond Ship and still continued moving?

After a short pause, Peridot asked her, trying to keep from tearing up, "I-Is this... is this real?"  
"Um, yes... it is. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I will ignore it for now. You have done great work for Yellow Diamond so far, and we wouldn't want to lose such a valuable technician, now would... we?"

Her briefly smug tone turned to confusion and a hint of concern upon seeing Peridot start crying silently into her arm, before wiping her tears away and telling her in a choked sob, "N-no, we w-wouldn't."

"...if this job is getting too much for you, we can always reassign you- you'd need to take it up with Yellow Diamond, though," she told her, about to turn around.

At the last second though, Peridot stopped her by admitting, "I-I think this job has had, um, a slight toll on my mental state... if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to be assigned to a temporary alternative job, such as... sweeping the perimeter of the Earth colony for any signs of life."

"Hmm, I didn't think you of all Gems were interested in Earth, but... okay, I'll contact Yellow Diamond as soon as possible about this! Perhaps it will encourage her to hold off on destroying it..."

The Pearl soon left, leaving Peridot alone. She was surprised at how quickly she thought about that- and how quickly she managed to lie about her real reasons for doing that.

Sure, she did have an interest in attempting to find the Crystal Gems, although it was doubtable she would ever tell Homeworld she found them. What she really cared about, though, was finding Lapis Lazuli at the Galaxy Warp. She's been told personally by Lapis about how she was trapped in that mirror for so long, then cracked and abandoned at the Warp as people retreated the planet. It would take another couple millenniums to be found again, and even then, she was still treated like a prop.

  
Not only was she upset at how other people had disregarded Lapis's very well-being, she was disgusted at how she herself had treated her- Lapis was right, she had used her. And she wasn't going to let it happen again in this reality.

**ding**

She jumped in her seat before quickly looking at her screen, and she saw she received a direct message from Yellow Diamond. If she was her regular self, she would be geeking out about the "flawless, logical Yellow Diamond" contacting her. Now, she treated it like a human would getting an email from their human employer.

Still, it was probably imporant, so she clicked on the message to read it. What she read was satisfying to say the least.

"I have been informed on the toll your duties have had on you, and after thinking it over," Thinking it over? She just told Yellow Pearl about this minutes ago! "I have decided it would be wise to assign you to a new job until your mind has been cleared. Your request to inspect Earth for signs of life has been accepted, as it would be a low-risk job that wouldn't put a strain on you. It also gives the Earth a temporary purpose, which it has been needing."

The rest was a bunch of filler text meant to make the message seem bigger and more intimidating than it was, but all in all, it seemed Yellow Diamond had immediately said yes to her suggestion just to make sure she wouldn't cause any trouble. She couldn't help but let out a small laugh- after all, this was the same person she had called a clod on two occasions.

Now, she just needed to make sure she knew where the Galaxy Warp was, and that she wasn't questioned by anyone why that was her first pitstop.


	2. The First Important Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just one action can change everything, no matter how small it may seem.

It did not take long for Peridot to find the Galaxy Warp- in fact, this was the first place she ended up, since it was Homeworld's main link between the Earth and Homeworld. She was unsure of why the Homeworld Warp went unused for long, although given that Yellow Diamond seemed to have an irrational vendetta against the planet because of its inherent connection to the fake death of Pink, she could somewhat understand her motivation. It wasn't at all a rational decision, to be frank, but it was something she could see the reasoning behind. That was not what she was concerned about, though- she needed to identify Lapis's mirror, take her Gem out of it, and then get her the help she needed.

She began to do some walking around, being careful that she didn't step on anything that looked even remotely like the Gem she was on the lookout for, because at this point she was still in her bulky Limb Enhancers and they looked like they could shatter her by accident- the thought of it made her sick, despite not having a stomach or eating anything. Soon, she just barely avoided bringing her foot down on what she instantly recognized as the mirror, and slowly she reached down to pick it up. She never got the chance to see what the mirror looked like, and felt like she should get one look before it would be destroyed in order to save her friend. Although she wasn't her friend yet, at least not in this reality, but hopefully she could prove herself worthy of that status.

Turning to look into the mirror, Peridot sighed- sounding a bit tired already- and informed Lapis, "I'm going to take you out, okay? You don't have to suffer anymore. Then I'll find someone who can heal you."

"okay? You don't have to..." the mirror, or Lapis, responded, surprising her for a moment before she realized that at this point Laps was unable to speak.

Interpreting it as Lapis wondering why she was helping her despite having no obligation, she responded, "It's... the right thing to do. It'll be safe to take your Gem out, right?"

"right? do... it... I'll... be safe."

It seemed to Peridot that there was no reason to stall any further, so she turned the mirror over, reached toward the Gem, and began to pull it out as gently as she could. Soon, it came loose, and the mirror surprisingly exploded into many pieces. Quickly, she placed the Gem down to let her reform, and she was already in awe at the beauty that appeared before her. In her memories, this was a form she had seen time and time again, almost becoming common. However, in this reality, this was the first time she ever laid eyes on Lapis. Not only that, but it'd be the first interaction she ever had. It sure beat putting her in a prison and getting information out of her, that's for sure.

When Lapis Lazuli had completely formed, she turned to face the one who freed her (briefly surprising her because of her mirror eyes) and muttered, "T-thank you... my name is Lapis, Lapis Lazuli."

"I know. Well, I-I recognize your Gem, that's why I know," she quickly corrected, catching her mistake as soon as she realized it. "Y-you don't have to follow me, but I think I know where we can go to heal your Gem. Again, this isn't like a prisoner thing, I-"

Before she could continue to ramble, the blue-haired Gem assured her, "It's fine, I get it- and surprisingly enough, I'm totally fine with you taking me to get my Gem healed. I'm still not sure why you care so much, though- not just about helping me, but about making sure I'm comfortable. At the most, I expected you to free me and leave."

"Well, I... assume you must've been trapped in this mirror for quite a long time," she began to explain, knowing it was a bad idea to tell her straight-up what she knew because of her previous life, as it would just make her look crazy, "so I think the first person you meet when you're freed should be at least somewhat decent."

With a small smile, Lapis laughed, "I think you're more than just decent- you mentioned something about healing my Gem, right?"

"Oh, yes- the thing is, while I do know who it is that can help you, I don't know where they are. That's kind of something I might need your help for."

With a nod, Lazuli replied, "Okay, that's fair enough. Tell me what I need to do, and I can do it."

"Okay- you're familiar with the Crystal Gems right?"

Clearly she was surprised, but slowly she gave a nod while admitting, "The last Crystal Gem I met did poof me, but maybe it's time to let bygones be bygones. I guess in the heat of battle it's impossible to tell between an enemy and a bystander, and if I need their help to get healed, I should try to be positive."

"Well that's great! There's no way to be sure exactly where the Crystal Gems are, though- the only thing guaranteed is that they're on Earth, and from what I... um, can guess, there's only around three of them at the moment. Pink woman with a big dress, a Pearl in this fancy outfit with a sword, and this fusion with glasses."

After a moment of silence, the other Gem remarked, "You sure know a lot about the Crystal Gems."

"Nyeheheh, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a bit of a Rebel spirit in me. So, how about this arrangement: you carry me while you fly, and if either of us spots these Gems, we fly down to greet them," Peridot suggested excitedly.

Lapis Lazuli quickly nodded, before frowning and admitting, "I... can't fly when my gem is cracked."

 

This was a surprise to Peridot, but she realized it made sense- she's never seen her with her gem cracked before, but clearly it must cause a lot of detriment to the performance of a Gem, and Lapis's best ability is her flight. For a second she felt a bit hopeless, not knowing how they were going to able to find the Crystal Gems if this easy method of transportation was out of the question. Walking on foot would most likely take years, and although that was a fraction of a fraction of a Gem's life, she felt like this would be way too long. It would worse with Lapis having a crack in her gem, because if she goes too long without getting it healed she could start to get some serious side effects.  
  
"W-wait, I have an idea!" Peridot exclaimed, startling the blue Gem before she listened to her explanation: "This is not my intended purpose, of course, but I can use my fingers to hover off the air! Maybe it's not the most ideal form of transportation, but at this point it'll be good enough!"  
  
She was surprised to hear a snort from Lapis, who remarked with a small smile,"T-this is certainly not what I was expecting today, but... how should I hold on?"  
  
Soon, they were in position, with Lapis wrapping an arm around the green Gem (who was blushing the whole time) before they took off. Both of them had different feelings about this method of travel; while the one conducting it thought they were going far too slowly and that this was only going to detract from their chances at finding the Crystal Gems, Lapis was pretty much just enjoying the ride. After spending so long having no real sense of purpose or direction, she was now being carried off by a somewhat anxious but kinda cute Gem who was willing to carry her off the ground in order to help her.   
  
"Hey, you said one of them was a Pearl right?" Lapis asked, having to speak a bit loudly just to be heard.

With a nod, Peridot responded, "Yes, and I think we should land now, because it seems that she might've spotted us and assumes we are about to attack."

Indeed, they had just flown right over Pearl, who at this point was still wearing her first Rebellion outfit (a translucent top, short pink leggings, and orange boots), and she seemed to have seen the two of them flying and grown suspicious. That means she was summoning her spear, about to attack. Peri landed as fast as she could to try and explain themselves, though, touching the ground a couple feet from her.

"D-don't attack, we don't mean any harm!" Peridot told her, sounding like she was pleading.

This threw Pearl off-guard, but she asked suspiciously without putting her weapon down, "How do I know you're not just trying to trick me so you can shatter me, like the rest of Homeworld?"

"Listen, I get why you're suspicious, but I'm barely associated with Homeworld anymore- I managed to get assigned to inspect this planet just so I could try and find you guys and get help! If you don't believe me, ask her," she told Pearl, quickly gesturing to her passenger, blushing lightly still thinking of their somewhat intimate ride. 

With all eyes on her, Lapis quickly began to explain, "She's telling the truth- I was trapped in a mirror for around a millennia, but she freed me not because she wanted information out of me or because she needed a hostage, but because she knew it was right. She says one of the Crystal Gems can heal me, and i think if you really do care about helping Gemkind, you'll do it."

Without even needing any prompting, she then showed Pearl the crack on the Gem, which caused her to wince a bit- she never saw someone moving around with such an injury.

"Okay, I can take you, but you have to act cautious- regardless of how much I trust you, they most likely are going to be a bit nervous seeing two Homeworld Gems following behind me. Just let me do the explaining, alright?"

The two of them quickly nodded, and soon they started to follow Pearl, and it did bug Peridot that they couldn't just fly the rest of the way there. Maybe it would look a bit alarming to see two Homeworld Gems flying toward their base, but it sure did save time.

Soon, they made their way to the rest of the Crystal Gems- and it seemed that Peridot's hypothesis was correct about how many there were. Rose and Garnet were simply inside resting, and they seemed happy to see Pearl enter- until they saw the two Gems trailing her from a few feet behind.

Immediately, they both summoned their weapons, with Garnet exclaiming, "Pearl, you let two Homeworld Gems-"

"-follow me? No, I lead them here. And before you freak out, let me explain."

Peridot awaited her explanation, hoping it would take away the risk of being poofed- although with how much these limb enhancers were bothering her (as she missed being able to use her real hands), it might not be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I made a mistake my first time writing, hopefully it didn't ruin the story for you guys! I quickly fixed it upon discovering my mistake.


	3. The New Crystal Gems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot and Lapis's first official meeting with the Crystal Gems is quite different than before, but will it go as planned?

Peridot and Lapis stood behind Pearl as she gave an explanation of what the two of them were doing in their base; occasionally one of them would add further details just to give more insight into things that might've needed clearing up, and slowly they were painting a pretty good picture of why they should be trusted. Peridot, of course, had to give a bit of a different story than the truth due to knowing that it wouldn't be believed that she saw a vision of the future and realized she had to take action in order to keep things from happening, but all in all the two of them earned plenty of sympathy- enough so that Rose was beginning to look emotional.

"I-I'm sorry I had came to such harsh conclusions about you... Lapis, may I see your gem?" she asked gently.

With a nod, the water Gem came toward her, and leaned forward a bit just to give her a good angle. Then, she gasped as the teardrops began to fall onto her cracked gem, and felt it begin to heal to its original perfect form. All the Crystal Gems were a little teary-eyed to see this, especially seeing Lapis's eyes become fully visible after once looking like mirrors themselves.

However, nobody was as emotional about this as Peridot was- it was incredibly to see who she remembered to be her closest friend get back the form that was most familiar to her, and if it wasn't for the knowledge that she had no idea who she was, she might've attempted to hug her.

Before she could think about that for too much longer, she saw Lapis give Rose a gentle hug in appreciation for her healing, before turning and giving Peridot a hug as well.

Stuttering and blushing, the green Gem asked, "W-what is this f-for?"

"You let me out of that mirror, and you offered to take me to get healed- if it wasn't for you, it would've been ages until anyone freed me. So... thank you," Lapis explained, teary-eyed.

Everyone shed some tears and smiled at this exchange, and Garnet especially found it to be heart-warmin. However, after regaining her composure, she had some things to say.

She adjusted her visor and admitted, "Although I'm glad you found us, I'm not sure how you knew we would be here, or even be alive."

"Oh, well... it's only logical to assume that your kind of Gems would be far too tough to be destroyed by a simple attack from the Diamonds, and where else would you be besides Earth, the planet you swore to protect? I knew that one of you had healing powers, and this was really my only option since healing is such a rare power!"

After a moment of silence, Garnet smiled and stated, "She's telling the truth- although it's hard to believe, she truly is here with pure intent. The only question is what you'll do now."

"That's simple: I'm going to join the Crystal Gems!" Peridot exclaimed enthusiastically.

Clearly, that caught almost everyone off guard- Rose raised an eyebrow, Pearl nearly fell over in surprise, and even Lapis was a bit taken aback. However, Garnet still showed herself to be quite unfazed.

With a chuckle, the visor-wearing Gem remarked, "Of course; this is the truth too. I have the power to see into the future, and in none of these can I see you betraying us if you were to be accepted as part of the team."

"G-Garnet, are you sure your vision isn't just a bit hazy? I know she seems nice, but something could be wrong here!" Pearl whispered to her, although she was still very much audible to the two guests.

However, surprising nearly everyone, Rose was the one who stepped forward to defend them now. "Pearl, how many times have we accepted Gems formerly placed under Homeworld's caste system into our team? If we had said no to anyone under suspicion of them betraying us, we couldn't have gotten as far as we did in the war. I understand your feelings, but these Gems have no ill will. It'll take time for them to gain the trust we have for each other, but they'll never gain that trust if we don't accept them first."

After a moment of silence, Pearl sighed and nodded, being left unable to reply to those words.

"Lapis, do you want to join too?" Peridot whispered to the Gem beside her.

With a pause, the now healed Gem admitted, "I'm a bit unsure of myself... but I don't know how I'd fit back in on Homeworld after so long. I mean, so much must've changed."

"A lot has changed over the last thousand years- the war ended, but our struggles are from over. We can always use some extra help," Garnet told her.

With a quick nod, Lapis replied, "Okay, I think I'm up for it then- and it wouldn't feel right to not join the one who saved me."

Everything seemed right so far, and Peridot felt pretty content knowing that she was becoming a Crystal Gem so much earlier than before. However, one thing seemed a bit weird to her...

"How do I get my star? Do I need to be poofed now, or...?"

Rose then politely informed her, "The star isn't the most important part of becoming a Crystal Gem, although if you care about it enough, I could poof you and you'll most likely reform with it on your outfit."

That was an interesting offer- after all, she was growing a bit sick of these limb enhancers since she grew so accustomed to being without them in her previous reality, and it could show her worth if she was able to keep herself still while she was having a sword swung through her.

"Okay, I think I'll do it. Lapis, you don't need to do this obviously, and if you're not comfortable with seeing it you can-"

Interrupting her quickly, Lapis Lazuli assured her, "It's fine, honestly I feel like I can handle being poofed for a few minutes... as long as you don't put me in anything."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Peri laughed, taking it as a joke, and awkward chuckles were shared among the other Gems.

Soon, Rose went through with it, swinging her sword and cutting through their forms with ease- and it felt like they weren't even out for that long. When they reformed, the sun was setting, so clearly they had been poofed for more than just a few minutes. Thankfully, they were in the same place, and the Gems were around keeping them safe.

"Aww, Peridot, I had no idea you were so small," Pearl remarked, finding it humorous just how much taller she was than her.

If she had heard this a few years ago when she first was encountered the Crystal Gems on Earth, this would've annoyed her to no end; however, she just laughed it off, too happy about having her regular body to care. Plus, her outfit looked even better, with the Diamond she wore being replaced by a star! Lapis's outfit was even better, as she traded her long flowing skirt for more of a mini-skirt, with her star being worn on the front of her crop-top.

After looking at the blue Gem's outfit, Peridot had only one thing she could say: "Wow... you look so beautiful..."

"Heh, thanks, you too," she responded before the smaller Gem had a chance to stutter an excuse, and she wrapped her in a one-arm hug that made her blush even worse.

At night, Lapis Lazuli drifted into a deep sleep, not necessarily needing it but finding it to be enjoyable after all she's done today. Meanwhile, Peridot was just sitting by Garnet, enjoying her comforting presence. Pearl and Rose had left, wanting to scout for corrupted Gems and keep their base safe. It was relaxing how silent it was, and she wished that she got to enjoy it more the first time around.

Then, Garnet broke the silence and took Peridot off guard with what she said.

Without turning her head, she informed her, "I know why you're keeping some things secret, but you can tell me what's going on- it could help to say it out loud."

"Wait, d-do you... know?" she asked, slapping herself mentally for thinking she could hide anything from Garnet.

Then, the taller Gem responded, "I know there's a possibility, but I won't know for sure until you tell me. And you know I won't be mad, if you know me."

"O-okay... here goes nothing..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this story is still good so far! I'm making sure to give it my all~


	4. An Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot has to try as best as she can to explain what is going on with her.

After a few seconds, Peridot thought things through, and soon began to form a rational explanation... as rational as she could make it sound, at least.  
  
"Well, you know how you have future vision?" she asked awkwardly, getting a quick nod in response. "Okay, well, this'll sound crazy but... I think I had something like that. But instead of seeing multiple futures, I saw  _one_ future. It felt so real, and I can remember every detail."  
  
Leaning in close, Garnet informed her, "If you know I can see the future, you'll know at this point that doesn't sound too crazy to me. At this point, you're either going to give me a breakdown of what you saw, or you're going to run off and tell me to forget I heard anything."  
  
"Wow, that is accurate... okay, I can tell you everything I remember, but... I don't really think Lapis should hear all this. I know she's asleep, but if she wakes up-"  
  
Swiftly, the taller Gem interrupted and responded, "Okay, take me outside and tell me. But be cool."  
  
With a nod, Peridot stood and lead her outside, not noticing that the one sleeping behind them had just opened their eyes.  
  
Now a safe distance from their base, she was ready to explain the details. However, she grew visibly apprehensive, and Garnet could tell right away.  
  
"I understand your nervousness about this- I've had experiences where telling people what I saw only resulted in things getting worse than if I never told them anything. So just tell me things that you know  _can't_ happen anymore."  
  
Enjoying this concept, the other Gem replied, "Alright- okay, this isn't part of that group, but I know you're a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire. On with the actual list: I remember that, if I hadn't let her out of that mirror, Lapis would've been left at the Galaxy Warp for another couple thousand years until what humans call the 19th century, where Pearl would find it and place it in her gem, then later Lapis would be freed by... someone, and she'd attack you, and then get healed and fly away to escape but get captured by these Homeworld Gems, and long-story short, she'd end up trapped under the water in an unhealthy fusion."  
  
"That is... a lot of information. I was sure you were telling the truth before, but now I feel more confident. The others might not respond as well, of course, which is why it  might be for the best to keep it private for a little while. I could tell that even with how little you told me, you had to hide some details to avoid the risk of changing the future," Garnet told Peridot with a smile. "It takes responsibility to know what to keep secret, so I hope you're prepared."  
  
Just thinking about that, it made her really happy she didn't tell Garnet literally everything she knew. Suddenly, she heard footsteps, and she and the visor-wearing rebel turned to see that Lapis was fully awake, looking at them.  
  
With a gasp, the smaller Gem asked, "W-what did you hear?"  
  
"...everything. Listen, I'm not mad, but... to think that if I hadn't been let out by you, I wouldn't have been let out for another couple thousand years, and I would've ended up trapped under the ocean... it's a lot to process. But you stopped all of that from happening. Did you know me in your vision well enough that you wanted to help me?"  
  
Quickly, she nodded and admitted, "Well... we didn't start on good terms. I was one of the Gems who captured you, and we ended up forced to live together in a barn. After a couple of years, we started to grow closer and then, um... I can't go into too many details, but I just knew that we could have such a better life, me and you together, if I cut out all the stuff that made it so awful."  
  
"Heh, wow, this feels so complicated- I'm basically thanking someone for stopping something from happening thousands of years in advance, and I have no idea whether it could've really happened!" Lapis Lazuli laughed, before quickly assuring Peridot, "But I believe you. It was way too detailed to be fake."  
  
This was nice to hear, and soon, the smaller Gem approached offering a hug which was soon accepted- this made Garnet quite happy to see, which was pretty expected.  
  
With a giggle, Peridot asked, "Are we gonna have to try and keep this a secret then? I mean, you took it pretty well, and you pretty much predicted it, but how about Pearl and Rose?"  
  
"I'd hold off on that until later. Pearl can be a bit... panicky, and Rose has a tendency to share her feelings. So if you're okay with it, we'll be holding onto this for a while."  
  
With a smile, she sighed, "That's fine by me... Lapis, mind if I nap next to you?"  
  
She responded by taking Peridot's hand and leading her inside, and soon the two of them were sleeping next to each other, secure in the knowledge that their futures had been changed for the better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if there's any mistakes I've made, I won't know unless I'm corrected!


	5. Pressure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She didn't realize hiding a secret was this hard.

There was so much going on in Peridot's head as she headed out on her first official mission as a Crystal Gem. At least, her first official mission as a Crystal Gem in THIS reality. It was confusing to think about the fact that she's essentially living a second life; it felt like just two days ago when she had been flying on a trashcan alongside Lapis and...

Bismuth, the Gem that she was told had been bubbled and placed in Lion's mane for about 5,300 years. If her math was correct, that meant that at this point she's been in there for around eight hundred. All it would take is nine words- "Rose poofed Bismuth and put her in a lion"- and everything would most likely fall apart, with Pearl and Garnet knowing that Rose betrayed them. It wasn't like it would be too far off track from how she had already changed the future, but she knew it would be wrong to ruin the bond that they shared.

At the same time, though, it felt just as wrong to let Bismuth suffer the fate she went out of her way to free Lapis from. If she did nothing, she might end up trapped there until Steven finds Lion and then accidentally unbubbles her. But then, how would she know that Steven would still go out with the Gems in the desert and find Lion there in this timeline? Perhaps he'd be taken there regardless because of it being an important training mission, but there was no telling how much their mere presence would effect things.

Now it felt like Peridot was hopeless- she couldn't simply approach Rose and say "I know you bubbled a Gem and put her in a lion's mane because of a disagreement you had, and it's wrong for you to keep her there," because then she'd know she knew more than she realistically should, and she'd start questioning what else she knows. However, while it would be easier in a sense to stay quiet, it would also weigh heavier on her. It felt like she was responsible for whatever happened, because she had the power to stop it with just her voice. All she wanted to do was-

"Peridot, look out!"

All of a sudden, her train of thought was derailed as she was pulled back into reality; dwelling on this for so long caused her to completely forget that they were currently fighting a corrupted Gem in order to bubble them. Before it could pounce on her and hurt her, Rose ran in and swung her sword right through its form, poofing it effortlessly. This did not help with her mental struggle- in fact, it only made her think about what it must've looked like for her to have poofed Bismuth, the only difference being that Bismuth wasn't a corrupted monster version of herself- she attacked Rose in a moment of anger, and now she's sentenced to a potential lifetime of imprisonment, having no idea how much time was passing.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see the leader of the Crystal Gems looking down at her and telling her softly, "You don't need to cry, you're safe."

Oh, so she was crying. She probably should've been able to figure that one out by herself, but it seemed that in her daze she had just lost track of her other senses. Nodding and wiping the tears away, she soon headed back to the base, where everyone looked worn out by their battle.

"S-sorry I couldn't help much, I know if I had been paying attention I would've-"

Interrupting, Garnet assured her, "It's okay, this is still new to you, we understand."

"Besides, I don't know if you really would've been able to make it any easier," Pearl remarked, before regretting her comment when she got a look from Rose. "I-I mean, your help would've been greatly appreciated, but we still won!"

That's when Peridot decided to admit, "I have these metal powers, but I never really got the chance to use them. It's probably why they gave me limb enhancers."

"Well, that's where the Crystal Gems differ from Homeworld- we'll help you unlock your true potential instead of forcing you to fit in. Whatever makes you different is what makes you important to the team, and never be afraid to express it!"

Those words were said with pure sincerity, but there was a hidden meaning that the small Gem knew that Rose was completely unaware of. She gave a smile and a nod, but inside she felt like screaming. If she truly 'expressed' what she knew really made her different, she knew it would not go over well. But part of her wondered if it would be better to risk everything by explaining what she didn't want to happen, than to just let herself fester in her own worry.

Later that night, Rose and Peridot were alone- Lapis and Pearl both headed out to scout for any other corrupted Gems, and the other two decided to stay behind. It was nice, as they hadn't had a chance to really be alone together. Although, it only made her thoughts seem louder... luckily, Rose Quartz decided to start speaking to her, helping her distract herself from her worries.

With a smile, the pink-haired leader sighed, "It's a nice night... Homeworld never had nights like this. Earth is so unique, with so much life, and atmosphere... I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. But what I love about it most is how it attracts so much change."

"Y-yeah, I think I get what you mean... is that what happened with you? Did you change your mind about Homeworld because of Earth?" Peridot knew the answer to her own question before she asked it, but wanted to try and see how much she could get Rose to say.

With a nod, Rose responded, "Yes, you could say that. To think, if it wasn't for this planet, I'd..."

She trailed off, and Peridot had a feeling she knew what she was about to say. Suddenly, she felt herself tearing up- everything was about to come pouring out.

"R-Rose... I want to tell you everything, but I'm just afraid... everything will go wrong."

It was too late now- with the look in the larger Gem's eyes, she could tell that if she stopped speaking or tried to back out, it would only make it clearer that she was hiding something. That was an inconvenient time for Pearl to show up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accidentally posted this on the wrong story, that's what I get for having two Peridot stories!


	6. Rose-Colored Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot has little choice but to tell Rose what's going on inside her head. But can she do it in front of Pearl, and will she like what happens after?

"Peridot, tell me what you mean."  
  
She sounded like she meant to make her command out to be more gentle than it really was, but to her, it read like an order.

With a stutter, she responded, "I-I... I had a dream. It felt so real... I think it might've been. And I heard things about you, and... and I want to know if they're true."  
  
This wasn't entirely incorrect, and it seemed like the best way to try and get some honesty. If Rose ended up being dishonest and denying anything that she asked when she knew it was true, though, there could be a problem.  
  
"Okay, go ahead," she told her, giving a look to Pearl that said she could listen- it seemed Rose was a bit apprehensive at first, but was going to listen to what the new Crystal Gem had to say.  
  
Soon, she jumped into the big questions, starting with one brewing at the top of her mind: "H-have you... imprisoned one of your Crystal Gem allies, without the intent to tell anyone else for several thousand years?"  
  
A look of shock spread on Pearl's face, and she almost seemed like she was about to get furious at Peridot for dishing out what sounded like an awful accusation- it was even more surprising to her when Rose dismissed her before facing Peridot again.  
  
"...yes... I have. I wish I could simply let her out and things would go back to normal, but... she must hate me now."  
  
Immediately, Pearl asked, "W-what are you talking about Rose? You never imprisoned anyone! You would've told me, right?"  
  
"P-Pearl, there's some things I haven't been able to say even to you. I haven't told anyone until now."  
  
Quickly, Peridot asked, "Would you really rather leave her trapped in a bubble for the next few thousand years instead of simply trying to come to a peaceful agreement? The war is over, whatever you argued about must be irrelevant at this point!"  
  
"I... you heard all of this in a dream?"  
  
She expected this question, but it was a tough one to answer right away; still, she soon responded, "Y-Yes, I think it felt more like a premonition than anything. I know Peridots shouldn't be able to have that, and I must sound crazy, but I promise I'm not! And I swear, I'm not a Homeworld spy, there's no way I could've gotten this information unless I had experienced a long enough life to learn about it!"  
  
"Tell me what else you know, then."  
  
Not hesitating this time, she responded, "I know your identity. You're Pink Diamond, and Earth was your first colony. You faking your shattering began Era 2, which was when I was created."  
  
The only other person in the room was Pearl, who had her mouth covered as tears streamed down her face.   
  
"That's true, all of it. There's no sense denying it to you- the only question is, are you going to tell anyone else?" Rose asked.  
  
With uncertainty this time, the short Gem replied, "Well... I should. I should tell them what you did. But I know that if that happens, it might result in something terrible happening... and I don't know how you'd be able to stay together as a team if that came out. I can't tell you too much about the future, but... I know that in my reality, you stay together for another several millenniums. I didn't become a Crystal Gem until you were gone."  
  
"Gone? Does something happen to me?"  
  
In a panic, she admitted, "I-I shouldn't have said that... but y-yes, something does happen. But it's nothing to be concerned over, you'll understand when it happens. But I don't want us to get off focus; I wouldn't have said anything if I hadn't been concerned about Bismuth."  
  
A gasp came from Pearl, tears flowing from her eyes much more rapidly.  
  
"Y-you... imprisoned Bismuth?"  
  
Rose quickly began explaining, "Bismuth had attacked me after I told her we couldn't use the Breaking Point, a weapon that would leave Gems shattered. I had no choice."  
  
"W-why didn't you tell me?" she asked, clearly distraught.  
  
There was a silence, and Peridot sighed and muttered, "I guess it wasn't gonna be as simple as wanting Bismuth back and her being here..."  
  
"...if you think that it will work, we can try. But if anything goes wrong-"  
  
Cutting her off, which was something she'd never do if she hadn't had such experience with communicating in her lifetime, she argued, "Nothing will go wrong, I promise! You feel bad for what you did, so tell her that! And if the war is over, then surely there's nothing left to argue about, right?"  
  
Tears fell from Rose Quartz's eyes as she nodded slowly, and Peridot felt proud of her argumentative abilities. A few minutes later, Garnet and Lapis were back, and Rose explained that she, Pearl and Peridot would be off on a mission to the desert. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all like this story! Part of me has thought of trying to make a more straight-forward AU story without the added on element of a character having canon knowledge, but I'll wait before I start making new projects. Plus, I need to think of an idea I like enough- perhaps an AU where the CGs end up becoming a band with Greg and he goes on tour with them, or an AU that focuses on the Off Colors!


	7. Lion Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the desert brings forth plenty of emotions, hopefully it can end better than things did so many years ago.

Peridot was thankful that they were able to simply warp to the desert instead of having to walk all the way there, but suddenly going from the nice cool climate in their forest-like base to the hot sandy landscape was quite a bit jarring. At first, she thought the three of them would be walking for quite a while before they'd find Rose's lion, so it was certainly a relief when the animal came running from the distance to sit at her feet. However, it almost felt like it would've beneficial to have a bit more time to walk, since then they'd probably be able to form a proper plan.

"So... we just come in there, take the bubble out, pop it and then explain to her what happened?" the short Crystal Gem asked, wiping sweat off of her forehead, inconveniently making her Gem feel all wet.

Rose replied solemnly, "Only I can enter, unless I pull you both in. It might not make much of a difference, but you two can enter to look before I take the bubble out."

The two of them nodded, with Pearl seeming far more adamant about it- from what Peridot could tell, she had a close relationship with Bismuth, so it must've upset her to know that her close ally had been bubbled by who she considered to be the sole confidant for. So, Rose took their hands and proceeded to enter Lion's Mane, where they witnessed the beautiful pink field before them that led toward a small island with a damaged flag, a chest, and a bubble floating above a tree.

She gestured for them to stay back as she carefully climbed up the tall tree, and reached her hand out to grab the bubble out of the air. Then, she very gracefully slid down the trunk of the tree onto the island surface before carrying it with her back toward Pearl and Peridot. Wordlessly, the former shed a tear, and the latter knew that more were to come shortly.

They exited Lion's mane, and the creature seemed unaware of what it was that was placed inside of it and taken out, but was happy it could be of assistance to the one who gave him a second chance of life.

"Stand back, we need to give her space," she whispered, proceeding to hold the bubble off the ground before popping it and stepping back a few feet, bracing herself for what would happen next.

Peridot could not remember when she had last witnessed a Gem reform before her very eyes, and witnessing it now, she felt like she had been missing out. It was akin to how humans say that childbirth is a wonderful act of nature, although with a Gem reforming, it really shouldn't have nearly the same effect since it's very apparent that this Gem has been alive before. However, the tension in seeing their form take shape, watching as the glow dimmed and their features became clearer and easier to make out, and then watching as they took notice of their consciousness... it was all pretty overwhelming. She didn't faint, but she did feel herself grow a lot more tense.

Speaking of which, she watched Bismuth reform with bated breath, but nothing could prepare herself for it even if she had spent hours roaming the desert looking for where she had been placed. She never got a chance to see her original form, where she had more of an apron-like outfit rather than the combat-oriented outfit she bared, and she had to say she preferred her second one. She had taken a defensive stance, clearly because of how she was poofed, only to glance around in confusion, realizing she was no longer where she once was.

Then, she visibly began to process the information around her- Rose, the one who poofed her, now stood in front of her looking remorseful and saddened. To the left of her was Pearl, someone who Bismuth shared a close blond with, shedding many tears and needing to restrain herself from running forward and giving her friend a hug. Then, to the right, there was a less familiar but still emotional Gem, who almost looked like she knew who she was. She could tell from their Gemstone she was a Peridot, and she must've been a new Crystal Gem as her outfit indicated. Other than that, things were a mystery.

Taking a step forward, the rainbow-haired Gem asked cautiously, "W-what's going on...? W-why did you let me out?"

"Bismuth, I missed you... and I'm sorry I hadn't let you out sooner. I don't know if you still want to join us after what I did."

After a pause, Bismuth teared up and sighed, "Rose, you have such a way with words, don't you? Man, it feels like it's only been a minute since you poofed me, but I can just tell it's been way longer..."

Then, she turned to Pearl and asked, "How've you been holding up?"

Unable to stop herself, Pearl ran over and proceeded to hug her tightly, sobbing into her chest. Now she just knew she's been out for a while- thoughts were going through her head, as she wondered how much has happened since she left.

"I wanted to take you out, and tell everyone what happened, but it never felt like it was the right time... and eventually I thought it was too late to say sorry."

Laughing a little, Bismuth remarked, "You kidding me? Rose, c'mon, with how much we've been through, can one disagreement tear us apart like that? So, how long has it been? Twenty, fifty years?"

"It's been... eight hundred years," she responded, looking down at the sandy ground with guilt in her eyes, her tears falling onto her feet.

This promptly wiped away the buff Gem's smile, and after looking a bit shellshocked, she asked in a forlorn voice, "Is the war over already?"

"It's been over for a short time, but if you had been here, I know we would've won so much faster! Breaking Point or not, you were a great fighter, Bismuth- don't let anything make you doubt that."

This gave her a little bit of confidence, but it wasn't enough to fully bring back her spark, and Rose was aware of that. After exchanging hugs, with Peridot feeling slightly out of place but still getting some ribbing and a toss in the air, they decided it would be best to head home.

Now, she could only wonder if it would be easier to try and explain to Garnet what happened, or if it would be best to simply hide the truth a bit. And that just made her worry about whether it would be right to let Garnet remain unaware of Rose's true identity sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you are all excited to see us get back to Bismuth!~


	8. Back to Bismuth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet finally sees Bismuth again, and learns exactly where she's been.

Soon, all four of them returned back to their Rebel base, where Garnet and Lapis were simply relaxing and talking about whatever came to mind. When they came through the entrance, the mood completely changed, and it only took a millisecond for Garnet to register exactly who it was standing before her. Rushing forth, she gave Bismuth a tight hug, tears already in her eyes. Of course, Lapis was confused since she never met this Gem before, but Peridot would most likely explain all of that later. However, despite how emotional this reunion was, it wasn't going to continue without important questions being asked.

"Rose, we thought that Bismuth had been lost or even shattered- what made you realize she must've been in the desert?"

At first, Rose was about to give a half-baked explanation, but multiple things prevented her from attempting that. Firstly, the fact that she knew Garnet could see multiple possible futures dissuaded her, since it made her very keen at spotting lies; then, she knew that if she tried to spin some tale about searching for Bismuth's Gem buried beneath the sand would only make the three witnesses speak up about her dishonesty, and she wanted to be truthful about whatever she could.

So, she informed Garnet with remorse, "I knew where she was there because... I put her there. Many centuries ago, Bismuth and I got into an argument about the best strategy to use during the war- she wanted to use the Breaking Point to shatter Homeworld Gems, and I told her it was wrong. She got upset and attacked me and I acted in defense, and then I decided to put her in a bubble inside a Lion until I could find the best possible way to release her and apologize for it."

"So... you lied to us about Bismuth?" 

The question was quite harsh, but it wasn't like it could be phrased much better- Rose truly had hid this from her comrades, just out of fear for what they would say. 

To defend Rose a little, Bismuth assured Garnet, "I was upset too, and I think I still am a little, but I know why she did it. It'll take time for things to get back to how they were before, but I know she regrets what she did, and truth be told, I feel wrong in how I reacted to her."

"I understand, but... we're a team, Rose. You should tell us when something like this happens, even if you're afraid of how we'll feel. A leader needs to be able to trust their teammates even with things they regret, or else they might not be able to get that trust in return. How will we know if you're not lying to us from now on?"

Sighing, the Crystal Gem leader responded, "I know I don't deserve your trust, or your respect after this... but Peridot convinced me to let Bismuth out because she wanted us to remain a team, and that's what I want too."

"...you shouldn't need someone who can see into the future to figure out that."

Before Rose could get another word in, Garnet went to her private room, needing time to think by herself. Briefly, Peridot had thought they were about to come to an agreement- especially with her name being brought into the conversation- but now her hopes were dashed.

With a sad look, she commented, "I think I might just be making things worse around here."

"Wait, you can see the future?! Man, and I thought you were special before- the first Peridot we've ever had part of our team- but this just takes the cake!" Bismuth exclaimed, laughing and picking her up.

With a chuckle, Peridot remarked, "I'm happy that this enthuses you, but part of me feels like it isn't the time to be jubilant."

"Heh, enthused, jubilant? You got a way with words. But I get what you mean- one of us should probably talk to her. Five minutes alone with Garnet will hopefully-"

Interrupting, Rose told her, "No, we should give her space. If she wants to be alone, we should let her, and she can tell us if she wants to talk."

"Aw, c'mon Rose, it's been eight hundred years since I saw her- shouldn't I get a chance to pal around a bit?" Bismuth asked, trying to keep up her pep but obviously feeling slightly glum about her first real meeting with the Crystal Gems in so long being cut short by emotional drama.

After a moment of thought, she conceded, "Alright, go ahead. But remember, don't push her too much, okay?"

The rainbow-haired Gem just nodded, turning and heading to Garnet's room- it was too far to listen in, not that anyone really wanted to eavesdrop.

Now, they were left with a couple options- either try and get some rest, go outside and scout for any corrupted Gems or Homeworld Gems trying to hunt them down, or sit down and talk to each other. And it seems that the choice was already made, as the Crystal Gems still in the room hit the ground and tried to float off into slumber.

"Lapis?"

Opening her eyes, she responded, "Yeah Peridot?"

"I know you barely know me, and what I know about you must be completely different than how you are, but... I hope we can be good friends."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a mistake with my original Chapter Eight, overlooking the fact that Garnet already learned about her whole premonition- with that in mind, I'm rewriting this chapter to try and fix that.


	9. Paranoia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleep is hard enough without existential questions looming on you.

Peridot wanted to say that after she laid down next to Lapis, she got to sleep right away. 

Peridot wanted to say that she was dreaming of something to take her mind off of all of her worries, and that for a short moment, she managed to find something to give her a bit of relaxation.

Peridot wanted to say all of that... but she knew it wouldn't be true.

What she could say with certainty, though, was that she  _should_ be asleep.

Gems don't need sleep, of course, but sleeping is a pretty relaxing thing, and if a Gem focuses hard enough, they can even have dreams. From her time as al Crystal Gem in her previous life, or reality, or timeline, or whatever it was called, sleep had become a pretty regular thing. It was mainly because Steven went to sleep late at night, and when no threats loomed over their heads, there was no training to be done late at night, leaving her and Lapis with nothing to do. Her mind flashed to all those nights spent sleeping in Steven's bathroom, having nowhere to go but there after Lapis took the barn... those issues were long gone, though.  
  
Or at least she wanted to say that they were.  
  
Her mind wouldn't stop thinking about all of those memories she made, all of the friends she made, all of the bonds she broke and formed... now she's making new ones, and while it is very nice, it can't take away the thought that something isn't right.  
  
Not too long ago, she went to sleep after accomplishing something she never thought she'd do: standing up to the Diamond Authorty without being shattered, and getting rewarded for it. Her sleep was well-earned, and she's gone to sleep many times before without consequence.  
  
Then, she woke up in this reality, thousands of years prior. And the thought occurred to her that she had no idea what might happen if she willfully let herself fall asleep right now.  
  
It was paranoid. It was most likely delusional. And all in all, it was a nonsensical fear, fueled by nothing but speculation and doubt. These truths did not stop her mind from worrying, though. And she was encouraged to make sure she knew all of this was real, and that there wasn't about to be an instant redo button hit on her life that sent her to a random point in time.   
  
Without thinking about it, she was out of the tent they had been staying in and wandering aimlessly outside, trying not to go too far from the base at the very least. The moonlight shimmered down on her, illuminating her new fancy visor in a spectacular way. A nearby pond showed her reflection and made her want to reflect figuratively on her life... both her old one and her new one.  
  
This life was different and the same in many ways. Without her previous memories, she had doubts she would've been encouraged to do something as traitorous as run straight to the Crystal Gems and plead with them to let her join. Only someone who's lived an entire life that culminated in them calling a Diamond a clod could be pictured doing that.   
  
All the details were the same- the way Homeworld looked, the way Earth appeared, the fact that Garnet was a fusion and Pearl was Rose's sole confidant...  
  
...she wanted to know how deep these similarities went.  
  
"Peridot? You should be lying down."  
  
The voice nearly made her fall into the lake, but the soft hand of Rose Quartz grabbed her and saved her. Soon, she straightened up and turned back.  
  
Stuttering, she responded, "S-sorry, I... I'm not doing well with the whole 'falling asleep' thing. I'm just... worried I might wake up and find out none of this is real. Like I did before."  
  
"I couldn't possibly understand what you must be feeling, but I hope I can help you, Peridot. Tell me whatever you want me to hear."  
  
That was the proper encouragement she needed, so she decided to ask her up front, "When are you going to tell them about you?"  
  
"I... didn't plan on it. And if I did, I can't imagine how things would turn out... they'd leave me, tell me everything I told them was a lie."  
  
That made her sigh in disappointment and admit, "Yeah, that is my worry too. But... if you ever had a kid, and they had to be the ones to break the news of who you really are to them, do you really want them to deal with all of that turmoil?"  
  
"Of course not. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But... our bond is already weakening, if I told Garnet and Bismuth the truth it could make things worse."  
  
Peridot responded, "Well, that's never really easy, telling people something you've been hiding for so long. They'll be mad... but you're still here, and you have time to show them that you're not just doing this as some dress-up game, but that you really want to be Rose Quartz for good."  
  
"You must have quite a lot of experience... I think I'll try to work up the courage to tell them within the next few days, when things are a bit less tense. I'm scared about what will happen, but... better sooner than later, I suppose."  
  
They began to head back to the base, and Peridot fell asleep and had to be carried the rest of the way. It was relaxing, and it helped her temporarily forget what she worried about for so long. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is an intriguing chapter for you all, please enjoy! Sorry for taking a few days, writer's block and all.


	10. Drilling Into Her Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot begins to wonder what is the best course of action when it comes to a certain issue burrowing beneath the Earth, along with many other intrusive thoughts.

It seemed as if Peridot was finally getting some rest... but it wasn't going to last forever. Thoughts entered her mind of something she had briefly forgotten about, because it seemed like a distant problem before until she remembered that in this reality, it was still very much a looming threat.   
  
Buried beneath the Earth's mantle laid millions of Gem shards, and eventually, they would destroy the Earth. Once, she had been assigned to check on if the Cluster to make sure it was still warming up to work as a doomsday device. Later on, she assisted in making sure it would never do that. She didn't expect that the solution was Steven's magical powers, but that wasn't the point.  
  
Actually, that was a point of debate: if Steven was the key to stopping the Cluster from destroying the Earth, does that mean that they can only stop it when he's there? If she waits all the way until he's old enough to control his powers and hop into a drill, she knows what will happen: she'll get flak for waiting that long to say anything about the Cluster despite what a big problem it clearly was. But then she has to wonder if she can do the same thing with Rose thousands of years ahead of time.  
  
Where would they get the resources to build a drill at this point in time? That technology was only available on Earth in the 20th century at the earliest, so unless they planned on reverse engineering the small amount of Gem tech they still had, they weren't going to be able to hop to it.   
  
There were so many variables to work through in her mind, and it was beginning to cause her quite the migraine. Would she even still be piloting the drill in this version of reality? With Bismuth- a very skilled craftswoman- as a member of the Crystal Gems for most likely the rest of time, how will that effect the speed and efficiency the drill is made? Now that Malachite is likely not going to be formed at this point, will that mean they'll get the Drill business taken care of a lot faster?  
  
Then, there was one more point of contention for her: Amethyst wasn't here. She was important in helping this drill get made, and she was also an important asset to the Crystal Gems. But most importantly to Peridot personally, she was an important part of her growth as a person and became one of her first friends. So, all in all, she knew what was important for her to do.  
  
When she realized Pearl was watching her the whole time as she sat cross-legged thinking, she was a tad freaked out, but took this as an opportunity to tell her new friend about what she was stressing about. Being told that someone was still in the Kindergarden after all this time was quite the surprise to her, and Pearl wondered how they hadn't been hit by the Diamond's song. Peridot quickly informed her that she most likely has been warming up in her hole the whole time, which made plenty of sense to her. So, they decided that the next morning, they would set out to find Amethyst and increase their ranks!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was worth the wait, guys!


	11. An Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Me taking a break from the story so I can ask questions to the reader about where things should go (and so I have a reason to post when I still have writer's block).

So, this chapter is as you can see from the title: a brief intermission from the story so I can ask where you all think this should go, because I don't tend to plan my stories out ahead, and getting some constructive feedback about where the best direction this story could take would be.  
  
Firstly, I already want to follow through with having Amethyst be the next one to join the CGs. The thing is, though, should I have Peridot follow the rest of the Crystal Gems in order to meet her, or stay behind and have her meet Amethyst when she comes back? Peridot would most likely want to see her due to them having developed such a strong bond over being different than other Gems of their kind, but there is the question of if she'd want to see her one way or the other.  
  
Then, there's something I never accounted for when writing this story: the Movie. Of course, some could probably argue it would have no bearing on the events here, and I wouldn't entirely disagree. However, I'm sure if I continued the story on without having the big reveal of the movie play any role, there would be a missed opportunity. So, how should I go about integrating that, if you people wanted it at all? Here are the possibilities:   
  
\- In the case that Peridot stays behind and doesn't go to get Amethyst with them, she could stay at the base to get some rest, and she has another premonition, this time of the two years that pass from Change Your Mind to the movie, and then the events of the movie itself.   
\- If she does go with them to get Amethyst, she'd most likely be tired after all the festivities, and so she'd get some rest, and then that could lead into the actual dream sequence.   
\- The third possibility is that at one point after getting Amethyst, Peridot would be alone with Rose and would question her about if there was anything else she was hiding, without actually knowing that Spinel was abandoned. Perhaps Peridot would manage to get the information out of her and convince her to go back for her.  
  
Now, here's the thing: Peridot in the movie is never shown to actually get told what happened to Spinel, and since she was apart from Steven dealing with the more technical aspects of the day-saving, she didn't get any direct confrontations with her. So, all she'd really know is 1. Spinel has some connection with Rose/Pink, and 2. she at one point was super cheery and innocent before breaking and becoming villainous (and being won over by Steven's compassion). This means that Peridot can't simply go to Rose and say "You left Spinel behind!"   
  
Also, it would definitely screw with Peridot emotionally and mentally if she just went to sleep and was just back into her other life, then lived two years, experienced the near destruction of Earth, then was immediately back to where she was before. Does she deserve that emotional turmoil? Do you all like to see your favorite characters suffer in these sorts of ways for that sweet canon? Of course, not that I'm complaining or anything.  
  
This chapter can also be used to suggest ways the story should go in terms of Peridot's actions- should she actually go out and tell everyone Rose's identity, or find a way to keep it a secret while also avoiding the drama of Sapphire and Ruby running apart? I have an idea involving making a tape that can explain everything to the Gems upon Steven's birth. Peridot most likely doesn't wanna do anything to prevent the birth of Steven and the Crystal Gems remaining together, and there are some ways that could be trifled with.   
  
So, tell me what you wanna see and how I should do it in a fun way to cure my writer's block! I hope you don't mind me posting this, I didn't have the mental capacity for another chapter but didn't wanna go more than two weeks without posting anything at all.


	12. Purple Pal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot joins the group to the abandoned Prime Kindergarten on Earth, where she gets to see how bad it was even far into the past, and where she meets a good pal very early on in her lifespan.

There was a brief thought that perhaps she would not be ready to meet Amethyst at this point- maybe she should just stay at the base and wait patiently for them to eventually come back with her, so she'd have time to clear her head and know the right things to say and do in front of her. However, she felt that would not be fair; none of the others got the same privilege to simply wait until Amethyst came to their doorstep while they prepared what they were going to say to indoctrinate her into the Crystal Gems. ...perhaps her word-choice is a bit odd there but truth be told, Peridot definitely was not in a calm state of mind with everything she was thinking about. Really, though, the main reason she really felt she needed to see Amethyst like this was that she knew how important it'd be for the barely developed Gem to meet her like this. In their first meeting, she called her a clod and screamed "DIE" in her face over and over again, and it took quite a bit of time for them to progress to "fellow members of the Shorty Squad" from there. Now, with her limb enhancers stored at the base and her metal powers feeling somewhat natural at this point (muscle memory giving her a bit of a boost), and Amethyst most likely being quite impressionable (and a little shorter), their friendship could go anywhere that Peridot wanted. Not to make her sound manipulative, but in technical terms, she did intend to  _manipulate_ the way Amethyst perceived her so that she was comfortable in her presence. A better way to put it would probably be that she wanted to make the best first impression on her possible.  
  
Well, she couldn't spend all her time just thinking about doing it, she also had to actually go there. So, following the others, she soon began heading there. They were unconfident about any Warp Pads taking them there, but they didn't require rest, so it wasn't much of a problem. Oh, and eventually Lapis got bored of walking and offered to carry Peridot the rest of the way. She  _did_ say she would fly back and give rides to anyone else who wanted them and was quickly turned down, with the other Crystal Gems explaining they didn't want to give her any trouble with how much heavier they might be. However, Peridot had a feeling that she only intended on carrying her and just said that to save face, as she gathered from how quickly she blushed upon stating her intention to fly Peridot the rest of the way there, and the way she smiled at her as she told her to climb onto her back. How would it be possible that they've gained this much of a bond so much? Yes, Lapis Lazuli  _did_ know about her multi-month relationship with her in the other timeline, but it's only been a week at most together. Perhaps that was all it really took to know how genuine Peridot's compassion was, but it didn't make it any easier to handle the many emotions she felt upon climbing onto her back, wrapping her arms around her waist, and then being lifted a good ten feet off the ground so they could start a steady flight onward.  
  
"You know the future, right?"  
  
Trying to wipe away her blush, Peridot explained, "W-well,  _my_ future, at least. It's not the same as how Garnet can see multiple futures, I only know one possible future."  
  
"Y-yeah, I get it. So, you know about this Gem we're gonna meet, right?" Lapis questioned.  
  
She gave a nod in response and admitted, "I don't know if I should tell you exactly who it is, I feel like I need to restrict the amount of things I tell you about the future or it'll happen all wrong."  
  
"From what you've said to me, you already altered a whole lot, but I wouldn't say anything is happening 'all wrong' right now, would you?"  
  
Peridot didn't bother replying, blush too deep to be taken seriously even in the most monotone of voices. Luckily, their destination was soon found and they landed gently, with the green Gem not-so-gently falling off and landing on her back, looking cute and foolish.  
  
They waited a few minutes for the others to arrive, with Peridot initially wanting to joke about them taking so long, but being caught up in a semi-flirtacious conversation with her pilot and not even noticing they were there until someone cleared their throat. After getting over that embarrassment, Peridot confidently led the way into the Prime Kindergarden, eyes darting for any signs of life.  
  
A quick purple flash from afar made her eyes light up, and the others clearly saw it too, as they took on defensive stances.  
  
Urgently, the shortest of the Gems assured them, "Y-you don't need to do that! I can promise you there will be no need for a fight here!"  
  
"Relax, short-stack, this is just a safety precaution; we're not looking for a fight," Bismuth assured her with a smile, and Peridot wondered if Bismuth was naturally this charismatic or if it was just something she perceived because of already getting to know her a little.  
  
Suddenly, the purple grew closer until it was recognizable as a person- a short Gem with lines on their bodies, making them look more like some sort of doll than an actual fully-formed soldier. It was clear that being isolated took a toll on her, as she was acting almost animalistic, running at them on all fours.  
  
At first, the Gems looked ready to attack and Peridot grew unsure if she could relax them, but Garnet soon proved herself an avid second-in-command, raising a hand to signal to them not to strike until she was able to gather what danger they were  _really_ in.   
  
...and she was proven to be wise, as when Amethyst got close enough, she was simply biting onto the fusion's leg harmlessly, barely even hurting.  
  
Mixed reactions were heard throughout the group- 'aww's from one end from the perceived cuteness, sounds of general confusion, some sounds of uncertainty and perhaps some leftover fear, and a fair share of curiosity. As Garnet lifted Amethyst up, barely fazed by her attempted attack from what she saw as a threat, Peridot couldn't help remember the way she had dealt with that Ruby when she was so sure they were coming after her for talking back to Yellow Diamond. She couldn't help wondering if she'd ever even meet those Rubies in this reality...  
  
Anyway, the gauntlet-wielding stoic of the group soon reassured the others, "She seems harmless, and she's calmer now that she knows we're not going to hurt her."  
  
"Sure, she's fine  _now,"_ Pearl commented as she put her spear away, "but can we really just take her with us? She doesn't look-"  
  
Interrupting, Rose quickly finished in what was sure to be a nicer comment than Pearl's potential one: "-accustomed to other people, but that's exactly why she  _needs_ to come with us. We get to benefit her with a loving home and a caring family."  
  
As she stated this, Peridot's eyes were drawn to the calmer Amethyst, who was giving glances around at everyone and generally looking quite confused. However, she didn't really see that- she saw all the bonding they had in their time around each other, going from acquaintances to actual teammates. It was hard not to feel frustration knowing she'd have to start over when it came to befriending her, but this would also be a way of forming a better friendship, no longer starting from enemies and slowly building toward friends, but starting completely neutral.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?" Lapis asked, and it was only then that Peridot realized that she was crying a little.  
  
Nodding and blinking the remaining tears away, she commented, "I think I'm getting a bit worked up about stuff, I should probably relax."  
  
"You can talk to me about it if you want- I've never had vivid visions of the future, but I have gone through some hard things, and I'm sure talking about how it makes you feel could help," the winged Gem offered, smiling.   
  
Peridot couldn't help but smile, feeling like things were looking up for her, especially with this additional member, and she gave a quick nod at that suggestion. 

__  
  
Amethyst came back with them without any struggle, only seeing the Prime Kindergarten as a playset and not a real home, and she seemed to grow a little more comfortable around these Gems the more she saw them snark at each other or make each other turn different colors from the slightest tone changes. Soon, she was fast asleep, worn out from what must've been a long day of running around and biting legs.  
  
Awake again, but this time of her own volition and not because of imsomnia, Peridot went to chat with Rose, feeling like she was growing comfortable around her.  
  
"So, um... what do you make of Amethyst?"  
  
Chuckling, Rose responded, "There's not much to make of her right now, what's most interesting is who she'll become."  
  
"That's... vague."  
  
This just made Rose laugh, and she remarked with a smile, "You're funny Peridot. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm excited for us to give Amethyst the space she needs to grow into a fully formed Gem! She came out so late, she must have no idea why she was there or even what she was. Now, she gets to decide somewhere safe and comfortable."  
  
"Heh, I guess it's not gonna harm anything to say we've managed to get all the necessary Gems together, not counting the Corrupted Gems of course! Lapis, me, Bismuth, Amethyst, Pearl, Garnet, you... heh, it seems like everyone's exactly where they're supposed to be!"  
  
Before the leader of the Crystal Gems could respond, she soon looked a bit uncomfortable, muttering to herself, "Oh stars..."  
  
"Is... something wrong?"  
  
Now looking distraught, Rose stood up and told Peridot, "I need to do something."  
  
"Can I... come with you?"  
  
Thinking for a moment, she soon answered, "Yes, you can."  
  
Peridot was unsure of what she had to do but was glad she got to go with her, as this could allow her to learn more about what she most likely missed because of the point her "future vision" ended. Of course, she should have had her expectations a bit higher. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ye hiatus is done! Hope you enjoyed the wait, or endured it well enough! And I hope this was a satisfying continuation, and that you are excited for more! And I think it's obvious what I'm going for at the end.


	13. Spinnin' Into The Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As it turns out, there were some things Rose hid that not even living through an entire different reality can help figure out (given where she had stopped at).

In the walk to the Warp Pad, Peridot was informed of what had gone down- a thousand and a half years prior, Rose (as Pink Diamond, prior to taking on her Rebellion role) had convinced her designated playmate Spinel to stay in the Garden as a way of getting rid of her so she could move on to more important things. Obviously, Peridot did not exactly respond well to the idea of her simply abandoning someone because she got annoyed by them, but as the Rebellion leader explained, she hadn't gotten to know Gems as individuals with their own thoughts and feelings at that point. It was only until three hundred and fifty years later that she met Garnet and came to the understanding that other Gems were also suffering in the Homeworld caste system; at that point, she had so many responsibilities that she lost track of Spinel entirely, and it wasn't long after that that the Warp Pad would be unused for some time (until Peridot was sent to Earth as a job that is). Plus, she didn't entirely understand how much power she would have over Spinel with a few simple words, and had assumed she would've gotten bored and left after some time. Upon further reflection, Rose Quartz began to understand just how cruel an act this had been, and that gave her the motivation to go straight to the Warp and rescue her.  
  
Due to still being of Diamond heritage, she was easily able to access her old play place with Peridot maintaining her position just by the side in order to make sure nothing went wrong. She was still shocked, despite previous warnings, to see the sad sight of a small child-like Gem standing alone with vines growing around their feet, looking shellshocked to see anyone show up at all.   
  
"W-who are you? W-where's Pink?"  
  
Her voice was weak and frail, like she could shatter from being spoken at too harshly, which is why Rose's next words were so gentle.  
  
Peridot wasn't exactly anticipating anything to be said in particular but was still taken aback hearing the story she delivered of having shattered Pink Diamond because of her cruelty against the Earth, and how Pink would've come back before if she had cared about anyone except herself. The former technician knew the false story that everyone had believed up until Steven revealed the truth via Pearl's phone (what an odd way to discover such an Earth-shattering revelation), but hearing it from the leader's mouth made it quite impactful.

Looking upon the poor Gem as it profusely wept at the fact that her Diamond had been shattered, Peridot grew teary-eyed as well, but felt no shame in it, seeing as how Rose was quickly wiping away a few tears. After a minute, Spinel regained her composure, deciding that- if what Rose said was true about Pink Diamond being cruel enough to not care about coming back for her- then she would be better off with Rose and her friends than she was with her Diamond. Peridot had to agree in an ironic way, as in a sense, Rose was a different person than she was as Pink, and Spinel would lead a better life with this version of her than with that one. She wished that lying wasn't the way to solve this problem, but it's not like she's unexperienced in the act and thus free of guilt. Although, when it came to lying by omission, she was growing to be an expert at that over the past few days with everything she was keeping hidden.  
  
None of the other Gems had been told any details about what Rose and Peridot were off doing aside from a casual "me and Peridot need to do something, you stay here" which everyone trusted, both because of her leader status and because they were simply too tired to question anything. So, suddenly seeing them come back with such a sad and confused-looking Gem was quite alarming. Although, judging her Pearl's expression, she knew more about this than she let on.  
  
"R-Rose, who is that?" Bismuth asked, trying to do so quietly so as to not be heard by and offend the Gem in question, although it was hard to do that when they were a mere few feet away from Rose (although it was hard to tell if she was even listening).  
  
Rose soon gave a quick explanation of her being Spinel, essentially a playmate for Pink Diamond who she left behind upon getting her own colony, and quickly the heart-shaped Gem was already tearing up from hearing her own story retold in such a way.   
  
 Garnet, who had been silent up until then (most likely considering how this seemingly unlikely future had come true), soon got on her knees to be on eye-level with Spinel before bringing her into a hug, whispering soothing things to her, and Peridot was amazed to see her actually relaxing in the larger Gem's arms. Of course, Garnet was known to be an excellent therapist to most, but with how much Spinel had suffered through, it was a bit surprising to see how Garnet was able to calm her down.  
  
Soon, the hug was ended, and Lapis slowly approached the Gem and asked gently, "D-do you need any place to sleep?"  
  
"Um, I don't... know what sleep is..."  
  
It wasn't exactly surprising, but it certainly was upsetting to hear, and soon Rose tried to explain gently, "It's like resting, you lie your body down and remain still, not thinking about anything. We have plenty of room for you here, although we believe we might soon need to make some changes to our base; lying in tents does not feel convenient anymore."

Glancing around, Peridot began to actually recognize the surrounding area as the beach that would eventually become Beach City. It was hard to recognize with no boardwalk and no temple, which began to inspire her to make a contribution.

"Rose, I think I have an idea for how we can improve on our base, although it might take some time."

She began to explain this to the leader  and prompted her to nod with a smile, as Spinel was calmly guided to one of the tents by Garnet, not resisting the action. It seemed that soon they would all  _actually_ be in their proper places, as it should've been in the original reality. Of course, it wouldn't be an easy thing to accomplish- getting Amethyst to fuse so they could model and build a giant temple- but with an actual blacksmith and a technician on their side, how long could it take? (Peridot just hoped they could make room for three, no four, extra rooms in there.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like the short wait compared to before, I kinda am getting into this. And thanks to Crossover_Enthusiast for writing their gift fic which partially inspired this chapter: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20935178 
> 
> EDIT: I changed my mind about the Temple thing, not that it'll make a huge difference but wanted to be safe.


	14. Passage of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have been going well and there is a lot of time to think.

It took some time for the Temple to get built, mainly because it was hard to pin down a solid design. Peridot didn't wanna straight-up project an image of her timeline's temple because she felt then it'd be like they were only constructing their Temple off of what they saw and it would lack authenticity. Progress was made, though, when the Gems (sans Peridot, Bismuth, Lapis, and Spinel) fused together into a Gem she knew to be Obsidian in order to save an explorer, who soon founded the land they stood on as Beach City, which was fun to be able to see even from a distance. From that moment, Bismuth knew exactly what the Temple needed to look like.  
  
Even with that important discovery made, it was many years before they had finished, although that was still impressive with the limited resources they had. It took plenty of work and a lot of patience, and Peridot was very thankful to be able to put this on her resume right next to "called Yellow Diamond a clod" and "had a millennia-long premonition in the span of one nap."   
  
Something felt almost wrong about the idea that she would be given her very own room in the Temple- one made to her liking and her specifications. Not that she was not grateful to not have to sleep outside, but it was still very odd to her. How did she go from lounging in the Beach House's bathroom to having a room in the Temple, being a full-on Crystal Gem before Steven was even around to call her one?  
  
Speaking of the Beach House, she tried to convince the others that perhaps they should build a house in case they had human visitors since the Temple was not the most welcoming sight. She deliberately left out any mention of the future in her explanation, not wanting to make it sound like this had a purpose in altering anything. Truth be told, she felt like it would be nice to give Greg a break by building the house for him... well, it's not like he could feel grateful for something done for him far before he even exists. Anyway, they seemed to laugh the idea off, with Rose even commenting that they had no functional use for something like that and that they could simply come to the humans' homes. It was frustrating to Peridot she couldn't just blurt out that she was trying to accommodate for Rose's future child, but she knew when she was defeated, so she simply accepted their rejection humbly. Plus, they were at least respectful about it, and she understood the desire to conserve their work. Bismuth even seemed open to the idea and promised that if it ever was deemed necessary, she'd be happy to give it a go. So at the very least, Greg would have less work to do himself.  
  
When the Temple was finally complete, they were all very relieved- all that work paid off, with a chill place for them to spend their off-time in. Beach City itself was only a few years old, and already, the residents would get to know who exactly was keeping them safe.   
  
"Peridot," Rose quickly urged, "I have something I need to ask of you."  
  
This snapped her out of her daze, and looking up, she asked, "W-what is it?"  
  
"You are in no rush to decide, but what should be done of these?"  
  
She presented something Peridot hadn't given thought toward in quite some time- her Limb Enhancers. She was so comfortable being shorter than everyone else that it felt odd to see right before her the option to enhance herself again. A part of her considered simply having someone toss them so she'd never have to think about that original life she lived. However, she decided against that- it was a bit silly to think she had to simply throw away anything that reminded her of Homeworld.   
  
So, Peridot soon responded, "I think I might want to find a place in my room to keep them. Someplace safe."  
  
"Hmm, I  _do_ have some old chests lying around, perhaps that would prove useful."  
  
Peridot did not ask why she might have such things just lying about, happy to just have a place to keep her Limb Enhancers where she wouldn't have to have too much anxiety about them.  
  
Soon she collapsed in her room, exhausted from all the work they've done.  
  
_____  
  
Bismuth laid in her room as well, but could not sleep. She didn't need it, anyway, but even if she did, she wouldn't have been asleep either. She was just thinking.   
  
If it wasn't for ol' tiny, she would still be bubbled inside of a Lion's mane. 

That then reminded her of something...  
  
Leaving her room, she went to give a knock on Rose's door, who soon answered with surprise.  
  
Smiling, Rose asked, "Do you need something Bismuth?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing really, but... is that Lion o' yours still in the desert?"  
  
Rose thought for a moment before putting her face in her hands, groaning, "I'm the worst..."  
  
"Don't beat yourself up, I know you had bigger things to think about than that. Do you think we could go get 'em, though? It could be nice having a team pet to liven things up."  
  
The pink-toned leader smiled a bit, enjoying that idea. She'd have to thank Peridot again later- she had lead to some pretty interesting, but more-than-tolerable changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vague time and description is mainly because I don't know how to do good non-spoilery summaries and titles. Hope you guys were able to handle this wait. New SU has gotten me excited!
> 
> BTW: At first I was conflicted on the whole "When the Temple was built" thing, but Obsidian is a fusion that Amethyst is needed in, and the Temple was built with her in mind, so clearly it must've been done after she came about, which was after Bismuth was bubbled. So I'd have to guess the Forge where Bismuth was poofed was built a bit before this.


	15. Lion Reunion 2: Straight to DVD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lion quickly begins to enjoy his new home, but how will the other Crystal Gems adapt to the new pet?

When Garnet had been first informed about what happened to Bismuth, the details were not seen as entirely important to her. She had been upset at the fact that she had been lied to about Bismuth, so anything beyond that hadn't been examined too deeply. However, when the previously mentioned rainbow-haired Gem and the one who had bubbled her came to the fresh-looking Temple with the Lion that was used to store her Gem, Garnet felt a bit... well, strange.  
  
"Hey, why does it look like you're not happy to see this cute lil' fella?" Bismuth remarked, petting Lion enthusiastically.  
  
Stepping closer, Garnet remarked, "It just feels odd to me, having them around like they're not out of the ordinary. I would've expected you to understand that."  
  
"Oh, I gotcha. But hey, even if I was still miffed at Rose- which admittedly, I am a little- that doesn't mean I gotta take it out on this cute pink fluffball! Don't you think he'll be fun to have around?"   
  
Adding to the enthusiasm, while ignoring one of those remarks, Rose stated, "I feel as if it'd be cruel to leave him to wander the desert when his job was already finished, and he does seem like he could help with morale."  
   
"S-soft....~" Amethyst could be heard muttering as she stroked Lion's mane, not having the biggest vocabulary but being able to communicate just fine at the moment.  
  
Meanwhile, Spinel- who had recently let her heart-shaped ponytails fall down to be longer, going down her back- was silently and cautiously looking at the creature from a safe distance. Not too long ago she'd be ecstatic to be bouncing around and treating this fella like a new playmate, but while she appreciated the fact that the Crystal Gems had come to save her from what Pink Diamond did to her, she definitely was going to need to get used to being around people again.

"He's definitely cute, I guess," Lapis remarked casually, smiling down at the sweet-looking creature.

Pearl didn't have much to add, having already seen the Lion in person, and her feelings on it were generally... well, mixed.

Peridot was not really invested in this conversation, though, as she was simply admiring the civilization that was forming in the newly found Beach City. To think that before, there was nothing there but dirt and some crawly critters! And their architecture, while not as advanced as something a Gem could build, was definitely impressive. On the subject of architecture, she had to acknowledge that she had no idea if, in the original timeline, the Temple had been built especially sooner than this. She had to hope that this was more timely than it was the "first" time, but it wasn't like she was really counting stuff like that when it came to correcting things in her new timeline. After all, she managed to save three Gems far before they would've been without her help, so it wasn't like someone would hold it against her that it took until the 19th century to get a Temple built. Of course, she only knew it  _was_ the 19th-century because of some History book Steven let her borrow once...  
  
Her mind had drifted to several topics throughout the last several minutes, and only when Lion purposefully bumped into her to let her fall into his mane did she snap back into reality and hear the sounds of laughter from the other Crystal Gems. Finally, something to be embarrassed about that was isolated to this reality!  
  
Now sincerely ticked off, Peridot grumbled, "H-he made a direct attack at me!"  
  
"Oh, do we need to get him a weapon then?" Lapis snarked, and Peridot was briefly distracted from her irritation at their mockery by how much she always appreciated Lapis's humorous asides, and she tried not to smile. 

With concern, Spinel questioned, "How come you haven't been playing with Lion like everybody else?"  
  
"I-It's not that I'm not interested in him," she assured her, glancing at Lion's apathetic face, "it's more that I have a lot of other things on my mind. Like, admiring the work of these new settlers!"  
  
In a better mood now, Garnet commented, "We were here before they were, so technically,  _we're_ settlers. They're just guests."  
  
"W-well, that's why  _I_ had suggested building a human-sized house to make them feel more welcomed!"

Snickering a little, Rose assured Peridot, "If the need ever is great enough, we can put that into motion. But I think we've already discussed this, in very great length. Besides, I haven't seen you try talking to any of the locals yet."

To prove everyone just how accommodating she can be, Peridot went off to say hello to everybody in town as enthusiastically as possible, and as friendly as she could without being too inauthentic! Soon, everybody knew who Peridot was, whether they liked it or not! And by extension, they'd know the Crystal Gems! It would only be a matter of time before one lucky fellow got to know Rose Quartz in particular. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remembered having a previous chapter named after Lion and knew what I had to do. From this point forward, though, part of me is unsure about where to go since we don't know everything that happened between when the Corrupting Light was sent and when Rose met Greg. It is making me think of doing a timeskip forward soon, but that depends on what y'all think.
> 
> EDIT: I got a complaint about the way Spinel was acting this chapter, with someone saying she was a tad too goofy. Of course, I had been going with the idea that it was currently the 19th century, meaning that a bit of time had passed since she had been rescued. But still, I don't want to seem like I'm giving Spinel the shaft.


	16. Old Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel dwells on whether she has a purpose anymore without her old friend, and how things will work with these new Gems.

Spinel sat in her room, designed to look like some sort of playhouse to fit with her personality- of course, she wasn't in the mood for anything high-energy at the moment, but she did like to sit at the top of the monkey bars while in deep thought, as it made her feel untouchable. It felt wrong to not use this room for its purpose, but then again, it had been some time since she had the motivation to really play any games. Although, it wasn't like anybody could blame her.

She pondered a bit on if she really belonged here. Sure, she's been here for quite some time and everyone else has welcomed her just fine, but still, is this the place for her? Pink Diamond was shattered by this group's leader, and now she's living with her and her friends. Of course, if what Rose said was true- and to be frank, Spinel had never had the ability to sense deception- Pink deserved this fate, having no regard for life, not even her supposed best friend's. If that was the case, Spinel wondered why she still felt kind of sad thinking about her being gone.

It felt ridiculous that she's been in such a slump for so long- she needed to live up to her purpose and be a great playmate and a great friend! Why should everyone else be responsible for making her smile, and not the other way around? But then again, after what happened to her, she wondered if she lost her spark. She was tricked into playing a game that could've lasted eons, all because she wanted to make Pink Diamond happy. Was she really good enough to make anyone happy again?

She soon remembered the words of Garnet, spoken with confidence toward her: "You don't have to serve anyone, or do anything you don't want to do. With us, you can be whatever you want. Don't be afraid to explore what that might be."

Those words comforted her, which is why it calmed her to think about them. Truth be told, she had considered spending some time by herself before to think about what she should do, and what role she wanted to serve in the universe.

However, it scared her to be alone. 

The Crystal Gems weren't scary people- in fact, they seemed rather gentle, and even when they disagreed with each other, they always strived to make each other happy and to come to an agreement that would satisfy everyone. And with what she learned about Pink Diamond, it seemed like they might make for better friends than her. But even without all of that, she felt that she did not trust herself to be alone. She needed people who could keep her safe and to help her if she was ever in a rough spot. Homeworld didn't have anybody like that, who could comfort Gems who were in rough patches. It didn't matter where you were in your mind as long as you did what you were told.

It was tough to have lost someone so important to her, and it made her want to cry. And oftentimes, she did. And it scared her that the others wouldn't understand, or would tell her to move on because of how much of a bad person Pink Diamond had been without Spinel knowing it. However, the first time she had an emotional breakdown around them, pounding the ground and pleading for her friend to return, she didn't get angry looks or put in a bubble. No, she got a comforting touch and assurance that she could cry as long as she wanted, and if needed, she could speak in depth about her feelings with everyone. As it turns out they all lost people too. In an ironic way, they lost people in a war they fought to reclaim this planet from Pink Diamond, either being shattered or getting corrupted by the Diamonds' attack. 

Long conversations with Rose have made her ponder if Pink had ever really cared about her; Rose seemed to know a lot about her and described her as being merciless and cruel, getting Earth as her first colony and essentially treating the planet as her own plaything. It was a startling idea, that someone she viewed as an equal might've only viewed her as a toy that she could throw away when bored. Not to say she didn't have fun with her, but it did change the way she thought about all those hours they spent dancing and playing.

All in all, Spinel felt a great amount of emotional turmoil that she had trouble dealing with, especially when alone. Being alone was not what she wanted. And luckily, she didn't need to be. It wasn't as if she was forced to be here, but it felt like a home at this point- she had her own room, and everybody said her name with such kindness. It was more than she could've asked for, to be frank. She hoped it could last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Given that I've had someone commenting on this story who wasn't really convinced that Spinel would choose to live with the CGs, I decided to show her perspective on things. Soon I'm gonna be segueing into some more recent SU events, but not too recent, of course.

**Author's Note:**

> I figured it would be fun to try my hand at another story- not sure if both will be updated at the same rate, but I can try. Tell me what you think of this; with us not knowing all about Peridot's past, I had to make some educated guesses based on how she wasn't around during the rebellion. If the show contradicts it later on, well, it's not entirely my fault.


End file.
